1st time cruise (Oasis of the seas)

Hubs and I are leaving 4 weeks from today and would like some 'insider' information. I am 1) nervous about getting sea sick. I have read that it is a huge boat and I won't even notice being at sea. 2) dining: Hubs and I have already spent a ton of money on this trip and we were just wanting to utilize the complimentary dining and not do the specialty dining. And we really were not planning on bringing super dressy clothes on the formal nights. But I have read other reviews that the dining sucks, and the buffet sucks and I am the pickiest eater on the face of the planet so....3) Booze: I partake in adult beverages every once in awhile and was going to bring 2 bottles of wine onto carryon , which RCI said that it was OK, but I had a question if sneaking it into my luggage was efficient and if anyone has been caught? I was just going to bring the little baby bottles of alcohol and roll them up in my clothing? 4) we dont drink pop so we were just going to either get the water package, or just drink the water that is offered for free. How horrible does it taste or is there any funky taste at all? 5) I am getting nervous now, reading some of the reviews about the ship itself. I have read ones that people hated this boat because it was so huge and the crowds are terrible, etc , and then others who say it was incredible? I guess it is just preference?

Any other tips / hints are welcome :) Our 20 year anniversary is in a couple days so that is what we are celebrating. We are doing western caribbean (cozumel, haiti, jamaica).

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

You are right, Oasis is a huge ship. You will find tons of info on all sorts of related stuff by looking on the portion of Cruise Critic devoted to RCI, located here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

Yes, it is a large ship and it does well in the sea.

To be on the safe side bring something in case of nausea.

As usual CruiserBruce has it right. You will get a ton of information on the RCI Board.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Keith

You have a lot of misinformation and misconceptions.

Don't bring small bottles of alcohol in your suitcase - they will be found and confiscated as all luggage is x-ray'd and alcohol is one of the key things being looked for. They know all the tricks and just about everyone gets caught.

Carry the 2-750ml bottles of wine with you in a carry on at check in along with all personal ID, money, jewelry, and anything else you will need until your luggage arrives later that afternoon. Remember your stateroom will not be ready until 1.

Very subjective but the food at the complimentary restaurants does not suck and the water is perfectly fine - better than most treated on land due to the processes used on board to manufacture it.

The ship is very large and has a lot of passengers but it also has numerous venues and activities that balance the crowd load typically better than smaller less populated ships.

Any ship will be subject to motion in heavy seas, but this class ship by far will feel it the least. Suggest mid level center location staterooms if you are concerned about motion. But you can also prepare in advance or if need be get medications on board.

Enjoy your cruise - great ship for your first one!

You have a lot of misinformation and misconceptions.

 

Don't bring small bottles of alcohol in your suitcase - they will be found and confiscated as all luggage is x-ray'd and alcohol is one of the key things being looked for. They know all the tricks and just about everyone gets caught.

 

Good to know! Thanks.. I won't even bother with trying it.

Hubs and I are leaving 4 weeks from today and would like some 'insider' information. I am

 

1) nervous about getting sea sick. I have read that it is a huge boat and I won't even notice being at sea.

 

I haven't been on Oasis but Allure, her sister. I know people say that because they are so big that you don't feel the motion all that much. I beg to differ. I did notice it...this is not a problem for me but I did notice it.

 

Investigate the multitude of ways to avoid motion sickness. Everyone is different so you'll have to find your own best solution. For my part, I bring candied ginger and nibble on a piece whenever I come into the cabin. I also wear the wrist bands, particularly when I sleep. Works for me. There are multiple other med and non-med options.

 

 

2) dining: Hubs and I have already spent a ton of money on this trip and we were just wanting to utilize the complimentary dining and not do the specialty dining. And we really were not planning on bringing super dressy clothes on the formal nights. But I have read other reviews that the dining sucks, and the buffet sucks and I am the pickiest eater on the face of the planet so....

 

Your mileage will vary. Food is subjective. I have never found food that sucked on a cruise. There are so many items to select from, I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't find something you like.

 

If you don't like it, don't eat it. And don't worry. If you are in the dining room, your waiter will bring you something else. Whatever you want. Multiple times if necessary to find you something that you like. I know people that ask for things, easy things, not on the menu: like a plate of steamed vegetables. The kitchen makes it anyway, they just have to plate it up for you. I've never known a waiter that wouldn't rest until you were satisfied.

 

 

3) Booze: I partake in adult beverages every once in awhile and was going to bring 2 bottles of wine onto carryon , which RCI said that it was OK, but I had a question if sneaking it into my luggage was efficient and if anyone has been caught? I was just going to bring the little baby bottles of alcohol and roll them up in my clothing?

 

Don't sneak; you will get caught, your luggage will be delayed in the naughty room, and you'll have to go down to get it released. Bring your 2 bottles of wine in your carry-on and have at it. Truth be told, we used to do this but don't any more. We never drank it. We always ended up carrying it home.

 

Again, your mileage may vary.

 

4) we dont drink pop so we were just going to either get the water package, or just drink the water that is offered for free. How horrible does it taste or is there any funky taste at all?

 

Ships have some of the cleanest water you might ever drink. It's processed right there on the ship through a process not unlike and maybe even more thorough than the water you buy in bottles.

 

 

5) I am getting nervous now, reading some of the reviews about the ship itself. I have read ones that people hated this boat because it was so huge and the crowds are terrible, etc , and then others who say it was incredible? I guess it is just preference?

 

We sailed on Allure over Thanksgiving: FULL of families...in fact some crew members said it was approaching max occupancy. Honestly, it felt less crowded than other RCL ships. Sure, it was crowded at the times I would expect it to be: right when a show gets out, right after muster...but I expect that on any ship. There are so many venues and so many places to be and they are so spread out that it never seemed over crowded...even with 5000 other people. We always found a table in the Windjammer, we never waited more than a few minutes for dinner in MTD. I will say that the Solarium could get crowded but it does on other ships so, again, not that different.

 

Any other tips / hints are welcome :) Our 20 year anniversary is in a couple days so that is what we are celebrating. We are doing western caribbean (cozumel, haiti, jamaica).

Have a great time and welcome to Cruise Critic!

Have a great time and welcome to Cruise Critic!

Thanks ;)

It's a ship...it FLOATS on the ocean..if the ocean is rolling..so will you. Bring seasickness meds....just in case!

It's a ship...it FLOATS on the ocean..if the ocean is rolling..so will you. Bring seasickness meds....just in case!

Thanks :)

Aww, a very Happy Anniversary to you both! 20 years is certainly worth celebrating. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time.

Others have answered your questions, and I will just add this: go with an open mind, and don't sweat the "small stuff". No vacation is every truly perfect.... if you want it to be, then you will be disappointed. Royal Caribbean has a fantastic product and I'm sure you will enjoy yourselves.

Take your happy heart, your love for each other, and you'll get through anything that may happen. (Barf-o-rama! I sound like a greeting card! :D:D:D )

.

Aww, a very Happy Anniversary to you both! 20 years is certainly worth celebrating. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time.

 

Others have answered your questions, and I will just add this: go with an open mind, and don't sweat the "small stuff". No vacation is every truly perfect.... if you want it to be, then you will be disappointed. Royal Caribbean has a fantastic product and I'm sure you will enjoy yourselves.

 

Take your happy heart, your love for each other, and you'll get through anything that may happen. (Barf-o-rama! I sound like a greeting card! :D:D:D )

 

.

Omg, I am really trying to be open minded, but I a serious worrier . I have all kinds of bad scenarios going through my head , lol. Thanks for the advise :D

^ Understood. But what is true is that a majority of the things you worry about never happen. Right? :) And if something does happen, you will deal with it. ;)

Omg, I am really trying to be open minded, but I a serious worrier . I have all kinds of bad scenarios going through my head , lol. Thanks for the advise :D

I was pretty nervous about seasickness on my first cruise. I decided being over prepared was the way to go. I do the patch AND the bands on every cruise. The combo has worked wonders for me, and never have touched my supply of Dramamine, ginger gum, and some random oil you put behind your ears. But I take all those things now on every cruise and it makes me feel better (if only emotionally), so that I can have an awesome time and not have to worry once I'm onboard.

I was pretty nervous about seasickness on my first cruise. I decided being over prepared was the way to go. I do the patch AND the bands on every cruise. The combo has worked wonders for me, and never have touched my supply of Dramamine, ginger gum, and some random oil you put behind your ears. But I take all those things now on every cruise and it makes me feel better (if only emotionally), so that I can have an awesome time and not have to worry once I'm onboard.

I was always curious how those bands worked, I don't like taking medication. I use peppermint oil when I have migraines but wasn't sure if I wanted to bring it with me because it literally is so freaking strong !

I was always curious how those bands worked, I don't like taking medication. I use peppermint oil when I have migraines but wasn't sure if I wanted to bring it with me because it literally is so freaking strong !

I couldn't tell you whether the bands or the patch is what actually helps me. I have no adverse reaction to the patch so I just do them both. But having the bands couldn't HURT.

Hubs and I are leaving 4 weeks from today and would like some 'insider' information. I am 1) nervous about getting sea sick. I have read that it is a huge boat and I won't even notice being at sea. 2) dining: Hubs and I have already spent a ton of money on this trip and we were just wanting to utilize the complimentary dining and not do the specialty dining. And we really were not planning on bringing super dressy clothes on the formal nights. But I have read other reviews that the dining sucks, and the buffet sucks and I am the pickiest eater on the face of the planet so....3) Booze: I partake in adult beverages every once in awhile and was going to bring 2 bottles of wine onto carryon , which RCI said that it was OK, but I had a question if sneaking it into my luggage was efficient and if anyone has been caught? I was just going to bring the little baby bottles of alcohol and roll them up in my clothing? 4) we dont drink pop so we were just going to either get the water package, or just drink the water that is offered for free. How horrible does it taste or is there any funky taste at all? 5) I am getting nervous now, reading some of the reviews about the ship itself. I have read ones that people hated this boat because it was so huge and the crowds are terrible, etc , and then others who say it was incredible? I guess it is just preference?

 

Any other tips / hints are welcome :) Our 20 year anniversary is in a couple days so that is what we are celebrating. We are doing western caribbean (cozumel, haiti, jamaica).

The Oasis is a wonderful ship! You picked a great ship for a first cruise! The entertainment is the best at sea- as is her sister the Allure. Cabins very comfortable- service very good. The amenities are also top notch. The food is very good- we love the main restaurant as well as Chops, Giovanni's and Johnny rockets. Many different fee options as well for breakfast, lunch and snacks- We never had an issue with sea sickness. It is a floating resort- we had cabins a couple of times in Central Park, and you would never know you were on a cruise ship.

You will have a ball. Enjoy!!

I did Eastern Caribbean a couple of years ago on Oasis and out of all the ships I've been on, it had the least amount of movement, just the occasional shudder. I always take seasickness pills with me, just in case. It is a huge ship but I found that there were so many venues that it never seemed super crowded, unlike Explorer on my last cruise. We drank the water with no problems, although we did bring some bottled water onboard, not sure if you can still do that. The food in the MDR was fine...not first class, but certainly better than my own cooking! We tend to avoid the Windjammer due to risk of norovirus, but from memory it was fine on port days for lunch. Park Cafe was my favourite place to eat breakfast and lunch. The Solarium was also nice for lunch. I'm sure you will have an amazing time.

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The Oasis is a wonderful ship! You picked a great ship for a first cruise! The entertainment is the best at sea- as is her sister the Allure. Cabins very comfortable- service very good. The amenities are also top notch. The food is very good- we love the main restaurant as well as Chops, Giovanni's and Johnny rockets. Many different fee options as well for breakfast, lunch and snacks- We never had an issue with sea sickness. It is a floating resort- we had cabins a couple of times in Central Park, and you would never know you were on a cruise ship.

 

You will have a ball. Enjoy!!

PS. my nephew who is a physician was also nervous about his first cruise. He did wear a patch, a couple of days into the cruise he realized the patch was making him sick! He removed it and was fine! I would not recommend the patch.

We sailed the Allure of the Seas (Oasis' sister ship) & it was our favorite ship ever!

We LOVED how large the ship is--ALWAYS something to do, places to be. The only time we felt things were crowded was during muster (safety drill the first day). (But I have read reviews of those who hate the size; being that it is your first cruise you have nothing to compare so you probably won't notice)

It is unlikely either of you will get seasick. The Caribbean, especially at that time of year, is typically smooth, and yes, larger ships are usually smoother. That being said, we have had occasional rough seas over all our cruises. You could get the "patch" from your doctor--I used those on our first few cruises. It does give you a dry, metallic taste in your mouth. And do NOT change the patch then put in your contacts without washing hands THOROUGHLY. I had severely blurred vision for a day from that one! You could bring bonine or buy seabands (uses accupuncture points to stave off nausea). If you are hit, try green apples, sprite, dry crackers, fresh air. In all our days at sea, once I had to stay in the room--I was fine in bed, so caught up on movies!

We have sailed DCL, RCL, Princess & Celebrity & have ALWAYS been happy with MDR & buffet food. Does that mean we have loved everything we have tried? No. But it is rare we found something we DIDN'T like. And if we did, the waiters were always anxious to get us something we did like! (btw, eating at the buffet is no greater risk of norovirus than just walking around the ship; on all our cruises we think we may have contracted norovirus ONCE--when we were sailing with the kids, who are notoriously rotten hand washers)

You do not need to sneak the wine on. I have used rum runners (amazon) to bring booze on in my suitcase with no problems. But I would not bring dark liquor in case they leak. (I do wrap in ziplocs & tuck into shoes).

Water tastes FINE--they have a water osmosis treatment on board. (again, I have read a few who think it doesn't; but most agree it is fine)

On our first cruise, DH was skeptical. (my parents are avid cruisers & said we would enjoy it). A bit of a debacle with embarkation didn't help. (LOOONG lines, HOT, computers down...) but once we boarded & got a cocktail, DH said "Hey, this is just Vegas on a ship!" It was love at first cruise! (and the long line debacle ended up with a silver lining--we met many people all day & ran into them all week!)

Most who take a cruise have a great time & are ready to take another! There are the few who find it just isn't for them...I prefer the positive attitude that ANY cruise (or vacation...) is better than working!

Relax & enjoy!

Hi and welcome to Cruise Critic. I grew up in Indiana and about three lifetimes ago I worked in Plainfield at the Law Enforcement Academy, but I digress. :D

I am not a worrier so much as an over planner, but what helps me is to figure out a "Plan B" for anything that concerns me (and you've received a lot of good "Plan B" info already), then let go of the concern knowing that I have a solution up my sleeve.

Have you found the Roll Call for your cruise so you can "talk" to others on your sailing? This a great resource for answers to calm your nerves. Just find your sailing date from the list for Oasis.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/rollcalls/?cruise_line_id=32&ship_id=368

The water on the ship definitely won't taste like Indiana water!! As others have said, it is very drinkable. That being said, I'm really picky about the taste of the water so we take a small Brita filter. We fill a few extra water bottles each evening with the filtered water, put them in the cooler/refrigerator, and I am good to go. https://www.brita.com/water-bottles/

As with anything in life, you will find people who thought their entire cruise experience was a disaster. I firmly believe it is what you make of it - if you go in believing you are going to have a fantastic cruise, you will. If you go in worrying that everything will be negative, you will find negatives at every turn.

Congratulations on your Anniversary and hope you have an absolutely wonderful time. You have selected a great ship for your first cruise. Please come back after your cruise and let us know your experience. :) :eek:

[And I must say - I am envious - I want so much to sail on Oasis or Allure because they are fantastic ships with more offerings than I can imagine. I hope to do a trans-Atlantic on one of them in the near future.]

We went on the Oasis last August and loved it. You've got a lot of good advice but I will address the food. We didn't buy any food- we ate in the MDR every night and we thought the food was really good. As with anywhere, some nights were better than others. We generally hated the buffet, but we really aren't into buffets so the crowds there really bothered us. The fresh salads in Central Park were really nice too. Don't worry- you won't go hungry!

Just got off Oasis today; did the same itinerary you are doing. Second time on this ship and second time doing his itinerary.

Yes you will feel some movement. Usually the first night and the last night are the worst, in my experience. We were really flying last night. Bring something (I'd recommend the patch.)

Food is VERY subjective, but it's good, even in the MDR ;) Windjammer had a make-your-own eggs benny station this week which was pretty sweet. But it's your 20th anniversary so splurge and try a specialty dining venue!!! Giovanni's Table was slaaaaammin' and it's very romantic to sit outside and listen to the live music. Skip 150 Central Park if it's the menu with the short rib though-- course #3 was undercooked and course #4 was overcooked. Formal nights are nights #2 and 5 so make specialty dining reservations then and you won't have to be quite as dressed up!

On sneaking alcohol: don't do that. Really tacky. They have a special of 10 drinks for I think $89 if you don't find value in a full-on drink package.

The free water is just fine, but I think the convenience of the bottled water package is paramount. You. Will. Bloat. Stay hydrated, my friend.

The ship IS incredible. Don't try to do it all in one week though; you'll just wear yourself out and not truly enjoy it. You will probably have a lot of kids on your sailing, so the Solarium will be your best friend. The cream of the crop crew and staff are on the larger ships.

Do not do Jamaica on your own. Book an RCI excursion or book with a reputable tour company. I like Liberty Tours Jamaica.

Pancho's Backyard in Cozumel has amazing, authentic Mexican food.

If you're beach people, get out to Labadee early. It's basically impossible to get loungers after a certain time.

And Drew Devine, your Cruise Director, is a fox. Yum.

Congratulations on 20 years and enjoy your cruise!!!

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I was under the impression I wouldn't feel the ship moving, but I noticed it immediately upon boarding, and that's while it was still docked! I never felt sick as such, but I did feel a little woozy that first day or so. I swear by sea bands (you wear them around your wrist and they have pressure points). They were great. I also took some ginger tablets just in case. I don't really like to be medicated as such, though I also had some medicine with me just in case, but I never needed it.

In the end what I missed the most after leaving the ship was that rocking! Especially being rocked to sleep, it was lovely :)

Enjoy your first cruise! I will be embarking on my second soon, I absolutely loved it.

That's interesting Tigerlily 75 because when I sailed Oasis I never felt movement at all other than the occasional shudder. I wonder if it's because I've cruised lots of smaller ships that really rock and roll, so didn't notice it on Oasis, or you had rougher seas? Either way, I always take seasick meds with me just in case.

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That's interesting Tigerlily 75 because when I sailed Oasis I never felt movement at all other than the occasional shudder. I wonder if it's because I've cruised lots of smaller ships that really rock and roll, so didn't notice it on Oasis, or you had rougher seas? Either way, I always take seasick meds with me just in case.

We were on Oasis this past September and noticed significant movement one day. Just depends on the sea and wind conditions, even a ship like Oasis is very small compared to the forces of nature.